Murph’s Grand Prix return

THESE days he's the most recognisable face in New Zealand motorsport, a four-time Bathurst winner and lap record 'god' whose easy-going nature makes him one of the most popular drivers in the V8 Supercar series.

Whenever he visits Manfeild, though, Greg Murphy is invariably remembered as much for an incident that has become part of circuit lore - a terrifying smash, one of the biggest in the Hawke's Bay legend's illustrious career.

It was midway through the New Zealand Grand Prix of 1995. The defending titleholder was 16 seconds ahead of the field when his Reynard 92 speared off the main straight, over a tyre barrier and through the perimeter fence, coming to rest out of sight in pine trees.

The cause? Complete brake failure.

Murph still finds it hard to believe he came away with just a few bruises, and that the car took only slight suspension damage.

"All I could see was the end of the track, then the sky, then trees. There are some great photos of it.

"It all happened in seconds, I remember hitting the brake and ... well, nothing happened ... then the sound of the engine, the car flying."

It was, he recollects, "a very dusty, messy end" to what would turn out to be his last race at a favourite circuit, a place that had been the centre of his fast-developing racing career.

"We should have been back in 1996, but the series was cancelled at the very last minute due to a lack of cars, and while I’ve been back a lot for visits and track days, I've not raced there since."

By then, too, Murphy was into his second season driving works Audis across the ditch. Then he caught a break running with Craig Lowndes for the Holden Racing Team in the Sandown and Bathurst enduros. The rest, as they say, has been history ...

Murphy will be back at his old stamping ground on February 13-14 for the 2010 New Zealand Grand Prix, but this time purely in a watching brief - he's part of TV3's live commentary team.

For all his years in V8 Supercars, the 37-year-old still considers single seaters as the purest form of motorsport, but figures the Toyota Racing Series cars are best-suited to younger guns.

Homegrown series star Mitchell Evans is just 15, he points out. "At least half the field is half my age."

He's delighted by TRS, the only class in domestic motorsport offering vital experience with wings, slicks and composite technologies.

"Look, they're a fantastic car and of the quality that a race like the NZGP demands. TRS is an absolutely perfect formula for it and the racing I’ve seen so far has been fantastic.

"In past years it hasn't been as good - in my final season, it was Formula Libre which made it pretty much an all-comers race, and subsequently running it as a Formula Ford event was a mistake, I feel."

On return to Australia, Murphy will be thrown straight into the V8 Supercars' fray, with a fresh challenge.

After months of speculation, he recently signed a deal to drive a Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore VE with backing from Castrol.

The car has been built in conjunction with championship-winning Triple Eight Race Engineering, which recently entered a full technical alliance with PMM after Triple Eight switched from Ford to Holden for 2010.

Chuffed that he can keep his famous No.51 number that he has used since 2001, Murphy further insists the passion remains to return to the forefront of the field.

The collapse of Tasman Motorsport's Sprint Gas Racing allowed him to switch to Morris Motorsport alongside 2005 series champion Russell Ingall.

It's a package that will see both these talented veterans put some real pressure on the young guns and championship frontrunners.

"It's something I'm very much looking forward to ... it means I can concentrate purely on driving again, without having to be concerned about how the team is tracking."

Murphy previously linked with Castrol for some of the high points of his career, including his 2003 and 2004 Bathurst wins where he set the lap record that still stands. After three lean years with Tasman, he's calling 2010 his V8 resurrection.

He will miss the Supercars' opening round, at Abu Dhabi's brand-new Yas Marina circuit on February 18-21, to honour an agreement to appear in the Top Gear Live stage show in Auckland alongside hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.

Paul Morris will drive Murphy's car for the season-opener and the Kiwi will take over for the season's second round at Bahrain from February 25 to 27.

"It means that I get to race on a circuit I know, but miss out on the track everyone is talking about," said Murphy, reflecting that on the original schedule, Yas was going to be the second round.

When he signed up for Top Gear, there was no indication that the V8 Series would start so early in the year, but fortunately his backers have been very understanding of the unique circumstances.

Murphy is also a guest at Manfeild's NZGP dinner on February 13. The dinner cost is $1500 per table, which includes a three-course meal and drinks. For further information, contact Sam MacNeill at Manfeild (sales@manfeild.co.nz).

Greg Murphy was the high flier, in every sense, when he last raced at Manfeild, in the 1995 New Zealand Grand Prix - manfeild.co.nz